In the team’s 25th consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships last fall, men’s cross country placed fifth as a team behind a second-place finish from senior All-American Grant Fisher, capping off a consistent season for the Cardinal.

The eighth FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to kick off this summer in France and run from June 7 to July 7. Games will be played in nine venues across the soccer-fevered country, which is the reigning FIFA Men’s World Cup championship. The stage is set now, however, for the world’s female stars to take the spotlight, and the United States — the reigning champion and 2-1 favorites to repeat — certainly has a target on its back.

In her final season of collegiate eligibility, fifth-year senior Elise Cranny led the women’s cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships last fall. The 2018 campaign was marked by growth, particularly within the underclassmen ranks, and displayed the strength and depth of a relative young team.

This year, Cardinal water polo returned to the NCAA championship game for the first time in a decade but fell short of its ultimate goal of reclaiming the national title, losing to embittered rival USC in the NCAA final.

All three former-Cardinal appeared in the United States Women’s National Team 3-0 victory over South Africa in Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. The international friendly featured the reigning Women’s World Cup champion U.S., who will be seeking their fourth title in June, and South Africa, who will be making their first World Cup appearance in France.